Arizona CPS update: Latest abuse report update shows 6,551 assigned

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PHOENIX - A new team assigned to review more than 6,500 child abuse and neglect reports that weren't investigated by Arizona child welfare officials says they've now assigned nearly all of those cases to investigators.

The so-called CARE team named on Dec. 2 by Gov. Jan Brewer provided the latest update Tuesday.

It said nearly 4,500 children identified in the reports now have been seen and almost 3,500 cases have had a response.

The team is led by the head of the state's Juvenile Corrections department, Charles Flanagan.

Department of Economic Security Director Clarence Carter revealed the uninvestigated reports called into a hotline on Nov. 21.

Brewer removed the state's Child Protective Services department from its parent agency Monday and set up a new cabinet-level department to handle child welfare.

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